Sheet Metal Fabrication: Choosing Between Laser, Plasma, and Waterjet Cutting
Among the different manufacturing techonlogies available at Craftcloud®, you can find sheet metal fabrication; the processes include cutting, forming, joining, and finishing the materials. The first of these processes can be achieved via different technologies: laser, plasma, and waterjet cutting. Knowing about these is key to selecting the best one according to the manufacturing goals.
Laser Cutting
Like its name indicates, in a nutshell this technology uses either a fiber optic or CO2 laser beam to melt or vaporize the material, while pressurized nitrogen or oxygen blow the melted material away. This process presents very high dimensional tolerances, allowing for sharp corners, intricate geometric segments, and smooth edges. While it is an excellent option for electrical enclosures and intricate brackets, it’s worth considering that lasers can struggle with thick metal plates (e.g. steel thicker than 20-25 mm), and they can also cause heat zones along the cut borders.
Plasma Cutting
Where laser cutting falls short – thicker metal sheets – plasma provides the solution. A jet of hot plasma cuts through electrically conductive materials, such as aluminum, carbon steel, and stainless steel. This technology stands out because of the fast cutting speeds on thick materials, although it produces a wider kerf (cut width) and leaves behind melted metal residue, therefore requiring manual grinding. Additionally, it creates heat-affected zones.
Waterjet Cutting
This method of sheet metal cutting uses a stream of water mixed with a granular abrasive to erode the material away. Unlike laser and plasma cutting, it doesn’t create heat-affected zones because the high-pressure stream is a cold process, and there is therefore no risk of warping or altering the metal’s metallurgical properties. While waterjets can cut through almost any material of width up to 100 mm (or more), it is a slower process and overall involves higher costs.
If you’re ready to begin your sheet metal manufacturing project, contact our team to get started.